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[hake]

For those with Windows, CryptoPrevent offers serious protection against other malware exploits than just ransomware.

The web page at URL http://www.foolishit.com/vb6-projects/cryptoprevent/ explains.  Considering that it's free and that it has caused me and one other no problems, I think that CryptoPrevent is a most valuable additional layer of defence.  That it is passive protection means so much the better.

[sevenlayermuddle]

For those with Windows, CryptoPrevent offers serious protection against other malware exploits than just ransomware.

The web page at URL http://www.foolishit.com/vb6-projects/cryptoprevent/ explains.  Considering that it's free and that it has caused me and one other no problems, I think that CryptoPrevent is a most valuable additional layer of defence.  That it is passive protection means so much the better.

That's interesting Hake, I've seen a lot of sites linking to 'Cryptoprevent'.

The thing is, whilst I have no reason to suspect that cryptoprevent may itself be malware, I had never heard of it, or its publisher, until last week.   I have led a famously sheltered life, but I bet I am not the only person who has never heard of that website.   

That being the case, isn't it slightly incongruous that on the one hand all the influential web authorities are reminding us to 'never click in a link or open an attachment', and on the other hand they are telling us to download and install software from a website that (many of us) have never heard of?

Personally I will not be installing 'Cryptoprevent' as, whilst I have no reason to think it may be malware, I personally have no reason to think it is not malware.   That attitude, I'd suggest, is the one that needs to be encouraged...

[hake]

If Brian Krebs (enormously respected commentator on security) mentions CryptoPrevent in his blog, that is good enough for me.  Of course, it's up to the individual but I and some friends have stuff that we would be desperately unhappy to lose to ransomware and we have learned to trust CryptoPrevent.

[broadstairs]

In my view the best way to prevent losing valuable stuff to ransomeware (or any other kind of virus attack) is to back up everything important on a regular basis to an external HDD which is not left connected to your PC so it cannot be attacked by such software. In my view if you could lose valuable stuff then you are not taking backups seriously. This software you mention may be reliable but I still feel that proper precautions and proper backups are the best way to go. Also running Linux is another good way to go as the likelihood of such an attack is significantly reduced. There is very little these days that I need to use Windows for and then I run it as a VM infrequently plus my Windows does not have access to any valuable stuff anyway.

Stuart

[tonyappuk]

I am not certain how cryptolocker operates but I don't think it uses Java. There is another ransomware trojan that causes your browser to lock up displaying a purported FBI/Police/etc ransom page, and this does use java. The reason I mention this is that I got hit by the browser lockup thingie the other day whilst I was using Firefox in Linux. It's fairly easy to circumvent this one and gives one encouragement to remove java or javascript add-ons from your browser. This incident was my own fault for browsing dodgy sites but rather negates my earlier proposal to move to Linux. This may still work for cryptolocker but not for the browser locking version.
Tony

[sevenlayermuddle]

It's fairly easy to circumvent this one and gives one encouragement to remove java or javascript add-ons from your browser.

Java is a bit of a sore point with me as I am involved with a certain website that is not remotely dodgy, and in fact is linked from schools and education authorities, and many other sources, worldwide.   But it has interactive content, implemented in Java.   So visitors these days tend to see popup boxes from their browsers warning of imminent armageddon unless they move on immediately from our website.

It doesn't seem entirely fair; A huge amount of effort may have to be written off simply because Oracle don't seem to be able to maintain Java properly.   

[c6em]

Just had an email from the local police alerting everyone on their circulation lists (neighborhood watch) about cryptolocker.
I recall seeing on some other forum that the USA Dept of Homeland security has also put out a warning about it.

As well as describing the effects etc...the email lists the usual warnings about not clicking on attachments and significantly adds in that user files should be backed up routinely and preserved off the network.

[burakkucat]

Here is a link to an article about this on the BBC web-site.